Top of the world: Aussies score double Paralympic cycling gold
Australia is celebrating a golden Wednesday at the Tokyo Paralympics, with two gold medals won and two world records broken at the first day of competition in the cycling.
Australia’s Paige Greco celebrates winning Gold in the Women's C1-3 3000m Individual Pursuit don day one of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Japan. (Tim Goode/PA Wire)
Both Paige Greco and Emily Petricola reigned supreme at the Izu Velodrome on Wednesday afternoon, becoming Paralympic champions after smashing their own world records in qualifying heats for their respective events earlier in the day
Greco won her showdown against China’s Xiaomei Wang in the women’s C3 individual 3000m pursuit, while Petricola bettered her long time rival, American Shawn Morelli, in the women’s C4 individual 3000m pursuit.
Petricola also bettered her own world record when she posted a time of 3:38.061 in the women’s C4 individual 3000m pursuit.
Fellow Australian Meg Lemon placed fourth in the final standings.
The cycling finals are the first gold medals handed out at the Paralympics, meaning success for Greco and Petricola has propelled Australia to the top of the standings.
Australia finished fifth overall at the past two Paralympic Games.
